Polite And Ravishing: Is This Really Possible?
by xXRockerChicXx
Summary: A story I originally posted on Quibblo. (Is actually not about Sherlock, but the actor that portrays him.)
1. A Chance Victory

"What I **need** is a vacation..." I was texting my friend and roommate Sara; we were complaining to each other about how much we need a day off from our lives...Only I had started talking aloud to myself again. I quickly tapped the tiny keyboard on my phone and sent her my response, and went back to what I was doing.

Which wasn't much, admittedly. I was surfing Tumblr, looking for random photos and fan-fictions and anything to keep me from dying of boredom. Sara was on a lunch break from her job at the mall, the job that supported us both. Because I seemed to never be able to get a job, and she was so willing to take me in when my parents kicked me out...I hated it, though. Having to rely on someone else.

I was trying desperately to find a job so I could say I wasn't mooching off of Sara. I was currently waiting on applications to four different places, not that I expected results from any of them. I'd long since lost my hope that I'd find a worthwhile job in this town.

My phone pinged as Sara texted me back. _Well, why don't you take one?_

_I'm broke, remember? Every bit of money I get goes to this apartment._ I was referring to the 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom space we shared together in downtown Lancaster. The place I was probably going to be stuck in for the rest of my life.

_Oh yeah...Hey, gotta go. Trouble again..._ I tossed my phone down as I knew Sara was probably running after a shoplifter. We had quite a few of those in our mall, myself previously included. That was a while ago...when I got kicked out of my parents house on my 18th birthday and they didn't let me come back for any of my things. That was how Sara, who was already my friend, found out about my situation and that very day became my roommate.

Next week would make it a whole year since I got kicked out, and 6 months since I came to live with Sara. Next week was also my 19th birthday.

My phone began to ring, and I thought it was Sara calling to tell me of whoever she'd caught. She sometimes did that.

I answered with an unexcited "Was it interesting?"

I knew immediately it wasn't Sara, because the other person was quiet for a moment before asking "Is this Aphrodite Chase?"

I nearly rolled off my bed. "Um, yes, it is...Sorry. Who is this?"

"I'm contacting you about your entrance into the celebrity sweepstakes you entered approximately a month ago, when..."

"Wait, wait, wait...What sweepstakes? The internet movie voting thing?" A few weeks ago, I'd voted on some internet movie poll, and had been 'automatically entered' into some contest. I never thought anything serious about it, though.

"Yes, that thing..." The woman on the other end sounded slightly worried. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

"Yes, yes, I'm just a bit...surprised. I didn't think I would be getting a call about this. Is something the matter with my information?"

"No, no, this is a congratulatory call. You've won! An all expense paid trip to to London for a week, and a celebrity escort to the London premiere of Star Trek: Into Darkness, along with a personal driver and $5,000 to spend as you wish..."

I was stunned silent. Was this person serious? "Wait...are you kidding me? Is this some kind of spam or prank call? Is someone messing with me?"

"No ma'am, this is absolutely serious. We tried to contact you several days ago, but it seems there was no answer...Are you still interested in the offer? If not, we have the runner-up decided already."

"No! I'm still interested!" Last week...They must've called when I was out filling out those job applications. "I was very busy last week...But I'm totally free now! I'm not too late to accept, am I?"

"No, you're just in time. If you have something to write with, I have all of the information you'll need to know."

"Sure, just give me a moment..." I grabbed my laptop, actually Sara's laptop, and opened up a new Word document. "Okay, I'm ready."

Half an hour after and with throbbing fingertips, I thanked the woman and hung up, and immediately saved the Word document. There was no way I was losing all of this precious information.

I snapped the laptop shut and stuck it in Sara's carrier bag, and took that, my hoodie, phone, and bus pass with me as I scrambled out of our apartment. The Queen Street bus station was only a few short blocks away, short enough that I was there in less than 5 minutes as I almost ran down the street.

Buses 1, 2, and 3 all went to the mall where Sara worked, and I hopped on the first one to arrive -number 3- and slid my bus pass through the scanner. I chose a seat way in the back and pulled out my phone to call Sara.

"Hey...what's up?" She sounded confused, which I expected. It was unusual for me to call her or anyone, given my fear of talking on the phone. That fear was practically obliterated in that very moment.

"Look, I'm coming to you right now. Can you meet me in the food court, by the pretzel stand? I really need to talk to you."

"What..? Did something happen? Are you hurt?"

"No, but there's something you really need to know...Something I can't say in person. Look, can you meet me or not?"

"Yeah, I can meet you...You're on the bus?"

"Yeah. It's already halfway there." The bus was making its loops through the city before it jumped onto the highway for the short ride to the mall. "Just be in front of the pretzel stand, okay?"

"Okay, okay..." I hung up and bounced in my seat as I waited anxiously. I had the urge to yell for the driver to go faster, but I know I just would've got kicked off, and I couldn't walk all the way to the mall. I wasn't exactly 'in shape', and it was 4 miles from downtown Lancaster to the Park City mall right outside the city limits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten minutes later, the bus pulled up in front of the mall and I was the first one out. I nearly sprinted to the food court entrance and there Sara was, waiting in her black shirt and pants, her 'uniform.' She looked extremely worried, and I knew the distraught expression on my face probably didn't look any better.

"What is this about?"

"I got a phone call, I thought it was you, but it was this lady about this thing I entered, and..."

"And what?"

I looked around and saw an empty tablet just a few feet away. I dragged Sara to it and brought out her laptop, pulling up the document I'd saved just minutes before. It felt like hours.

She scanned over it quickly and looked up with wide eyes. "Are you kidding me? Are you fûcking _kidding_ me!?" Her exclamation caused several people to look over. She ignored them. "Not five minutes after I tell you to take a vacation, you get a call saying you've won a free vacation to London...And $5,000! And a date with a celebrity! Bumbling what's-his-name..." I had to restrain the urge to burst out in laughter.

"That's not his name...But I know! **Ahhh!"** We screamed in unison. "It's only a one person trip, I'm sorry I can't bring you..!"

She waved it off. "As long as you bring me back a juicy story and lots of pictures, I'll be fine. Maybe make a pass at that Ben guy..." I felt my face burn red. "Oh, come on, if you entered a contest about the guy, I know you had to've been thinking about it..."

"Well, yeah! But he's 36...36! And I'm only about to be 19!"

"So? It's just a rumble in the sack, it doesn't matter how old you both are! As long as you have a good time!"

"Says the girl who's never had a 'rumble in the sack' with anyone. Virgin." Sara cackled.

"Well, if I could take your place, that wouldn't be true after this week." My mouth dropped open in shock and she laughed again. "Just sayin'."

"Well, I will be doing no inappropriate things of that type while I am in London...I'll just be seeing the sights, drowning myself in hotel room service, and trying not to fall on my face as I walk down the red carpet. All touristy things..."

"Except that last part. I'm sure I'll see a picture on the Internet somewhere of you on the red carpet wearing a dress...And I'm sure your face will match the carpet, what with all those people and their cameras."

"Maybe I'll just go to the dinner and skip the movie premiere." Sara's mouth dropped open now. "You said it yourself, there's going to be tons of people with tons of cameras...I don't need to end up in some magazine or tabloid TV show looking like the great bit idiot that I am...Great big _ugly_ idiot, I might add."

"Dyte...Aphrodite..." I gritted my teeth; Sara knew I hated it when she used my full name. That's why I went by Dyte. "When are you going to realize you are not the ugliest person on Planet Earth? You aren't even ugly! You're one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen!"

"You're my best friend, it's your job to tell me that..."

"If you want me to pull some random stranger over to tell you, I will..."

"No!" I grabbed Sara by the wrist and yanked her down into the seat beside me. **"Don't** do that...Look, I just know I'm not pretty, okay? I don't get attention from guys, I don't tress myself up by doing my hair or makeup, I'm not even skinny...What guy would want a girl with as many pudgy parts as I have?"

"Um, anyone with a brain? You might have some meat on you, but it's in all the right places...Your butt and your boobs, right where it needs to be. Me telling you how jealous I am of you should be evidence enough of that." I made a face and stuck my tongue out at her.

"There's a difference between being fûckable, and being pretty. I think my romantic history, or lack thereof, is evidence enough of _that."_ I practically spat Sara's words back at her, knowing she couldn't deny them. I'd been with 5 guys before, and none of them were for a relationship.

'Been with' was probably too strong of a term...Sharing one or two nights together doesn't exactly constitute being 'with' someone.

Knowing the conversation was near to being unsalvageable, I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry...But don't we both know this is something we'll both never win at? You'll keep arguing that I'm pretty, and I'll keep arguing that I'm the scourge of the Earth..."

"Well, once you go on this trip and get some nice time in the limelight, I'm sure you'll have guys swarming all over you. Maybe even a few movie stars." She nudged my side and laughed, and the bad mood from just a moment earlier was immediately dissolved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Have you got everything packed?"

"Almost...Quit bothering me, and I might've gotten it done already." Sara giggled as she stood in my doorway and watched me cram a week's worth of clothes, practically half of everything I owned, into a luggage bag along with her laptop and camera. She'd insisted I take them, and we'd argued, but I lost.

"Make sure you take pictures of everything...I never get to go anywhere, and if you do, I wanna enjoy it too." I snickered.

"I'll be sure to take pictures of everything...Now can I go to sleep? It's getting rather late..."

Actually, it was only about 8pm, but a car was due to pick me up from here to take me to the Philadelphia airport in exactly 12 hours, and I needed the sleep if I was going to be waking up that early.

"Is there any particular reason you're being rushed out of here so fast? It was only yesterday you found out you won this thing, and now this...Are you sure _you_ weren't the runner-up?" I shrugged.

"Does it matter? That just means whoever came before me missed their chance at a great week overseas, and I'm taking that chance instead. Their loss, not mine."

_"There_ you go, _now_ you're being enthusiastic about this trip!"

I made a face. "I am enthusiastic about it...Not so much about the red carpet, paparazzi, crazy fans everywhere bit. I mean, I haven't even got anything to wear!"

"Why do you think they gave you $5,000 to blow? They probably know you're a poor bâstard and need a bunch of money to buy a bunch of crâp. Just enjoy it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...How about you just get out of my room so I can sleep?"

I went to the door and pushed a giggling Sara out and shut the door. Instead of going right to sleep, I went into the bathroom and turned on the water. It was a standing shower, not a nice, large tub like I preferred at that moment, but I wasn't complaining. Anything with hot water was alright with me right now.

I turned the water up as hot as I could handle and stripped, closing the frosted glass shower door behind me as I entered. The shower quickly melted away the tension in my muscles and I sagged against the cold tile wall, exhausted. These last two days...They were like something straight out of a fairytale.

I win the opportunity to go to London, have dinner with one of the hottest celebrities of the time, and go to the premiere of his movie that I've been waiting 3 years for...It was definitely a fairytale.

Or a dream. A dream that I was waiting to wake up from.


	2. Across An Ocean

"Dyte, wake up!" I heard Sara shout as I felt something soft hit me quite hard on my face.

"Ow..." I threw the pillow off and saw Sara standing there. "What was that for?"

"Your alarm went off ten minutes ago and woke me up. Now you wake up, 'cause that driver called. He'll be here in 20 minutes."

"Fine, fine, I'll get up...Can I have some privacy?"

Sara went to the

curtains and wrenched them open, letting the sun stream in and practically burn out my retinas. "Nope. I'm making sure you stay up and don't waste this awesome opportunity."

I pulled myself to a sitting position and let out a huge yawn, and felt yet another item get tossed at my face. It was clothes, the same ones I'd set out the night before after I got out of the shower: a black beaded blouse and faded bell-bottom jeans. Some of the clothes I'd had to buy forever ago after moving in with Sara.

She stood nearby as promised while I pulled myself out of bed and carefully got dressed. Once I brushed my hair and put on my shoes, a pair of black heeled sandals Sara thought were 'necessary', she seemed to be satisfied with how awake I was and left the room.

I checked the time and saw it was 7:55, and the driver would arrive any minute now. Sara was waiting by the door when I came dragging my bag out of my room, and held a pair of matte blue-framed sunglasses in her hand. "I hear it's awfully sunny in London this time of year."

"Yeah, like you would know." I took them and pushed them onto my face, and Sara opened the door to our apartment. Thankfully we were only on the first floor, so all I had to do was go out of the building door and I was out on the sidewalk. She watched from the window as a sleek black BMW pulled up in front of our building and a black-clad driver exited the front seat.

We looked at each other with shocked expressions before waving excitedly and going our separate ways. Sara went back into the apartment and I climbed in the backseat of the car as the driver took my luggage bag and placed it in the trunk.

I guess he knew exactly where to go, because besides an introduction, he said almost nothing. I decided to pull out my headphones and plug them into my cell phone so I could listen to some music on the hour long drive to Philadelphia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Miss...miss...Yer'll 'ave ter wake up now, the plane will be landin' soon." I blinked several times and looked groggily up at the woman beside me. "Please fasten your seatbelt for the descent."

I lazily fumbled for the two halves of the seatbelt and clicked them together, and had to resist the urge to go back to sleep. I had no idea what time it was, but the dark sky outside the plane window told me it was late. I knew there was a time zone difference between here and back in Pennsylvania, but my brain didn't even want to try and figure out what time it was. I was too tired.

But I probably wouldn't be able to sleep, being in a new, weird place.

I held tightly onto my plush business-class seat and stared out of the window at the fast-approaching ground. There was nobody seated beside me, which I found odd considering how almost every other seat was filled in this section of the airplane.

The planed skidded down the lighted runway until it rolled slowly to a stop, and then began the laborious process of taxiing into the terminal. I'd never flown before, but the stewards kept making random announcements over the PA system, so I picked up on what was generally happening.

When the plane finally jolted to a stop, the stewards opened the cabin door and my section of the plane was called to exit first. A smiling stewardess helped me get my one bag out of the overhead compartment and I made my way carefully out of the plane. I wasn't just paranoid about being on a plane, I was paranoid about falling in the heels I was wearing. I still wondered why I let Sara push me into wearing these.

Just like it was in the movies, there was a bunch of people waiting, some with name signs, and I giggled quietly to myself. I scanned for one bearing my name, since I'd been told someone would be at this airport to pick me up.

Sure enough, there was an official-looking black-clad man holding a sign that said 'Dyte Chase' and I went to him. "I'm Ms. Chase."

"Hello, ma'am. I have your car waiting just outside to take you into London to your hotel. Please, come this way."

I followed the man through the large, and quite frankly confusing, crowded airport to the cool outdoors. The man had most likely been to this airport to get people before, I guessed, since he seemed to know where he was going. There was a black BMW just like the one that had picked me up in Lancaster, and the man took my bag and put it into the trunk.

I saw that there was already someone in the back seat, and fear immediately spiked in my mind. "They...they didn't tell me there would be two people picking me up...Who's that?"

"That is Mr. Cumberbatch. He requested that he be here to greet you personally tonight when you arrived."

_"What?!"_ My voice raised at least an octave as panic joined my fear.

The driver opened the back passenger door and out popped the black-haired, blue-eyed, smiling face of Benedict Cumberbatch. My knees became like jelly and I nearly fell over.

"Come on in, it's awfully cool outside this evening." His voice was a deep baritone that tickled at my insides, and I let out a giggle that sounded quite like a yelp.

He slid over and I sat in the space he'd just vacated as the driver shut the door behind me, and I noticed the leather seat was quite warm. I had to hold back more yelping giggles.

It very nearly pitch black in the back of the car, and I squirmed uncomfortably. A slim white hand reached up and clicked on the small overhead light that popped on when the doors were open, and it was now dim enough that I could see just how close the two of us were in that backseat. I shifted slightly to the right so we weren't in such danger of touching, not that I was given much of a choice.

"I'm quite sure you already know who I am, but I think it's right to introduce myself regardless. Benedict Cumberbatch, or just Ben. Or some mangled, mispronounced version of my name, if you prefer."

My restraint from giggling broke, and I let out a peal of laughter. "Nice to know...Dyte Chase." I put my undoubtedly clammy hand in his dry, warm one and we shook.

"Dyte? How interesting..."

"Well, my name's actually Aphrodite, like the Greek goddess, but I don't like to use it...So I just go by Dyte."

"Why on Earth do you not like to go by Aphrodite? I happen to think it is a beautiful name." I felt my face immediately burn dark red, but he didn't laugh or cajole me. Instead, he turned toward me in his seat and asked "Did your mother give you that name?"

I nodded, looking down. I didn't want to talk about my parents, but I also didn't want to be rude to this person that was spending his precious time with me, when he so obviously could've been somewhere else.

"She has a thing about ancient cultures...There was a great big fight about my name with my dad, apparently, but I guess she won."

"Do you still live with them? Someone told me you were young, um...18, I think?" I nodded.

"My 19th birthday happens to be on the day of your movie premiere on the second." Ben's smile spread into a full-blown grin, but I didn't mirror it. "Yes, I suppose anyone would be excited about such a big event on their birthday..."

I think he detected my grief, because the next thing he asked was "You aren't anyone, are you?"

I shook my head. "My birthday's never exactly been a happy day. It's been rare that I get presents, and I've never had a party, not even when I was young. My dad was never home and my mother didn't care, so I'd always have to come up with things to do on my own...I remember one time, when I was in 10th grade, my precalculus class sung me 'Happy Birthday' and I got a celebratory pencil from the teacher..."

"Precalculus in 10th grade..? Smart and beautiful." I cringed slightly. "Well, since you'll be spending the day with me anyway, why don't I take you out for your 19th birthday? We'll have the premiere and then dinner, and then go anywhere you want. Perhaps out for drinks?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Taking a young one like me out for drinks...Wouldn't that be irresponsible of you?"

"Why, are you an irresponsible drunk?" I chuckled.

"No, no...Not that I'm in the habit of drinking or anything, since it's illegal for me where I come from..."

We looked at each other in silence for a moment before bursting into laughter. I looked briefly out the dark tinted window of our car and saw we were surrounded by buildings now. We must've just entered London.

"Yes, I think a drink or two after dinner would be alright...Just as long as you promise to get me back to my hotel room unscathed."

Ben put his right hand in the air as he said "I promise to get you back to your hotel room _mostly_ unscathed." We laughed again as we pulled up in front of the Strand Palace Hotel, a big and fancy place, or so I'd seen when I briefly checked out their website back in Lancaster.

He surprised me by getting out at the same time I did, and I asked confusedly "Are you staying here too..?"

"Perhaps I am...Or perhaps I'm getting you safely to your room, as I promised."

I attempted, and probably failed, not to look flustered as the driver retrieved my bag from the trunk and I gave him a $10 tip. I also asked "Will you be the same one that's supposed to drive me around all this week?"

"Yes ma'am."

I perused my lips. "Then I guess I'll have to make sure I tip you graciously, then."

The man smiled warmly. "That would be much appreciated. Thank you, ma'am. Have a good night."

I watched him get in the BMW and drive away before I turned and followed Ben into the front doors of the hotel.

Wait, when did I start calling him Ben? I sighed mentally.

He held the door opened as I went through it and, feeling particularly witty, I remarked "Such a gentleman...Were you taught that in school?"

He grinned. "Perhaps I simply know how to treat a pretty lady." I blushed and my wittiness evaporated. Damn him and his devilishly good looks and sultry voice.

Gah! I cursed myself internally.

I shuffled along to the front desk and gave my name and handed over my I.D. The woman there handed it back with an electronic room key and explained to me how to get to my room. Take the lift to the 5th floor, all the way down the right-hand hall, room 513. I was in a 'Cosy Double Room', but it didn't really matter to me. As long as it had a bed and a bathroom, I was content.

Ben and I made our way to one of the lifts and he called it down, and I said "So, going to escort me straight to the door, or shall I make that trip all on my own?"

He chuckled. "My room happens to be one floor up, 619, so I think you'll have to. Assuming you're not afraid?"

I feigned offense. "This happens not to be the first time I've been out in a strange place on my own, you know...I can do just fine."

"Oh?" I sighed.

"I think we'll save _that_ conversation for another time. I've had just about enough excitement for one night." The lift doors opened and one person got out, and we stepped in, alone. I punched the buttons for 5 and 6, and the doors closed and the lift lurched up.

I stared down at my knotted fingers as the lift made its way slowly up to the 5th floor, and rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. Despite our conversation, I was as afraid and panicky as I was when I first spied Ben in the back of the BMW. If anything, I was more afraid, because of how I'd gone and blabbed about how horrible my childhood was. Thank goodness I'd had enough sense left to stop talking when I did...He didn't need to know about my 6 month homeless period, when I'd gone without food, water, and had devolved into a criminal.

I didn't even want to _think_ about all of that...Because every time I did, I got pissed off. Pissed off about my parents, pissed off about how I had to rely on Sara, pissed about everything bad that had ever happened to me. And that was a _lot._

As the lift slowed to a stop on 5, I felt Ben's hand touch my elbow. "If you'd like...I can treat you to breakfast tomorrow morning."

I looked up from my hand and gasped. I hadn't noticed the entire time we were talking before, but here in the lift, the bright lights showed off the hue of his eyes. They weren't just blue, but also green and gold, all mixed and faded together in neat little patterns. It was a heady combination.

"You don't need to do that. I have been given a hefty sum of money to spend on this trip as I please...Besides, I hate people spending money on me."

"Would that be any of the reason why you seem so upset?"

I nodded. "But as I said before, that is a conversation for another time...I need a good night's rest if I'm to be going out anywhere tomorrow."

"So, is that a yes for breakfast?" I shrugged. "I'll be knocking at your door, 8am sharp. I suggest you get some sleep, Ms. Chase."

I resisted the urge to chuckle at his politeness. It was actually quite refreshing, compared to the people I usually dealt with.

"You go get some sleep yourself, Mr. Cumberbatch." I finally stepped out of the lift as the doors began to shut, again. "See you tomorrow." I saw his mouth turn up into a grin as the doors finally closed.

Feeling better than I had when I woke up that morning, I strolled down the hall to room 513 and slid the keycard into the lock, and it beeped to signal it was unlocked. I went in and shut the door, but didn't take much time to observe my surroundings. I was suddenly, incredibly tired.

I let my luggage bag drop to the floor and stripped out of my clothes, falling onto the soft double bed with a contented sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Knock...Knock, knock...**

"Mmm..." I pulled a pillow over my head, but the knocking continued, and I grumbled angrily. I looked at the beside clock and saw it was only 8 in the morning. "What the hêll..."

I rolled off the bed and stumbled to the door, not bothering to see who it was before I wrenched it open.

A pair of blue/green/gold eyes stared back at me as I froze in shock. The longer I stared, the more memories from the night before came back to me, and the redder my face became.

Chuckling, Ben asked me "You didn't set an alarm, did you?"

"No...No I didn't." I looked down at myself and let out a yelp, almost slamming the door in his face. "Um...Give me a moment." He chuckled again as I shut the door and scrambled about the room. I picked up my clothes from the night before and threw them on the bed along with my luggage bag.

I unzipped it and pulled out the first two things I could find, a pair of grey pants and a white T-shirt with a ruched right shoulder. Oh well, I didn't have time to find better. I quickly got dressed and returned to the door, and Ben was still waiting patiently.

I opened it and sheepishly said "Sorry...Please, come in." He entered and I closed the door quietly. "Sorry I didn't wake up on time...and that you had to see so much of my marred skin..."

"It's alright, I've been known to wake up quite late on occasion. And I happened to not see a thing. Though I'm sure you're skin isn't that bad." I wasn't quite sure if he was telling the truth about not seeing my skin or just being modest, but I didn't inquire any further.

"I,uh...I'll just be a moment..." I grabbed my mini bag of supplies and scurried into the bathroom. After quickly brushing my hair and deciding to go without makeup, I scurried back into the bedroom and pulled my white sneakers out of my luggage bag.

Ben remarked "Do you have an infinite number of things in there?"

"Hardly. These and the black heels I wore over here are the only shoes I have, and I have a limited amount of clothing...This is the only bag I brought."

"You travel lightly."

"One doesn't need to bring much along when one doesn't have much in the first place." Another raised eyebrow. "Breakfast first, story time later."

"That sounds acceptable. Shall we be going?"

"Yes...Wait. Where are we going?"

"Oh, just a little place I happen to know, it's a 5 minute walk...Up for it?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Just because I happen to have a belly on me, doesn't mean I can't walk 300 metres. Let's go." I practically stormed out of the hotel room and Ben followed, laughing as he went.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, that was quite delicious...I think I feel a bit fatter, though." We both laughed as I sat back in my chair, digesting the meal I'd just eaten. It'd been ages since I'd eaten breakfast, and I felt...full.

"You didn't eat much."

"Well, I don't usually eat breakfast at all. I'm not used to it." I felt my phone buzzing silently in my back pocket and pull it out to see Sara's number flashing on screen. I hit talk and said "Hi."

"Hey!" Despite her enthusiasm, she sounded exhausted. "Oh my God, you're actually awake..."

"And I'm eating breakfast, with a rather handsome fellow, I might add..." Ben chuckled across the table from me. "A better question is, what're _you_ doing up? It's got to be 3am in Lancaster!"

"Yeah, but I wanted to make sure you were okay, since you didn't call when you got in last night."

"Oops...sorry about that...I had a surprise waiting for me at the airport and totally forgot. Don't kill me!"

She laughed. "I won't...What was the surprise? And who's the hot guy you're having breakfast with?" Before I could answer, she let out a loud gasp. "Oh. My. God. Is it that Benedict guy? The celebrity one?"

"Yes, Benedict is the 'hot guy' I'm having breakfast with..." My face burned red as he laughed even more. "Look, you know I'm alive and I know you're alive, so how about you go get some sleep? You can call when you're not talking so loopy."

"Okay, okay...Don't forget to make a pass at him, okay? Do it for me!" I couldn't help but grin wide as I hung up on a tired, giggling Sara.

Once Ben had calmed down from his burst of laughter, I apologized. "Sorry you had to hear that...But my friend and roommate Sara says 'hello.'"

"So it seems...Now what was that she called me? Or what you called me?" I made a face. "I'm sorry if it seems I'm patronizing you, it's just amusing to hear you speak that way."

"You mean happily? I wouldn't say it's amusing...Different, maybe. Maybe if we talked about things other than my gruesome life, you'd hear me speak that way more often."

"While your life may be gruesome to you, it does not mean it has to be a forbidden subject. Speaking of things often helps to get past them."

"Well, I've gotten past my family...Was kinda forced to." I began spilling my guts to him again. "I was kicked out of my parents house on my 18th birthday. They wouldn't let me go back for any of my things, so all I had to my name was a backpack full of clothes and $30 that I'd made babysitting. That didn't last me very long, so the next six months were pretty tough."

Ben's face turned to one of horror. "You were homeless? For six months?"

I nodded. "I could stay at a friends house every once in a while, just to shower and catch up, but they all still lived with their parents, so I could never stay more than a night or two. It was after the six months that Sara caught me shoplifting at our local mall. She's an assistant manager at one of the stores there now, but back then, she was just a saleswoman. We were friends before, but hadn't talked in quite some time, so when I told her what was going on she took me in immediately. She had just gotten her own apartment."

"That was awfully kind of her, taking you in like that...And you still live with her?" I nodded.

"I've been trying desperately to find a job, but nobody will hire me because of my lack of experience, so her job is supporting us both right now...I hate it. I hate having to mooch off of someone to survive. I supported myself all through my terrible childhood, and I'd like to be able to do it again."

"I'm sorry..." During my ranting, I hadn't noticed how sad Ben's face had become. "I hate to see others in a situation such as yours...I am glad you did not give in to whatever grief that situation must have given you, otherwise, I would not be able to sit and have such pleasant experiences with you."

"Thank you...But I should not have said anything. I don't like to bring others down with my personal issues, just because they're **that,** my issues. Getting kicked out and being homeless...It was not as bad as you might think. At least, not compared to some other things that have happened. My life has been one tragedy after another, and I can say I've been strengthened against anything that would hurt me."

"I suppose that is good...But suppose you have been strengthened too much? There is undoubtedly a point where you surpass a healthy level of strength and resort to simply blocking everything out. _That_ is not healthy, because then you cannot enjoy happy times in life. You cannot enjoy a free vacation to another country, you cannot enjoy the large sum of money given to you, and you cannot enjoy the simple company of someone that happens to enjoy being with you."

I smirked a bit. "If you knew me well, you would probably not be saying such nice things...Especially about me. There's a reason why my list of friends has dwindled to one."

"Well, now it is at two." My smirk widened into a smile, despite me trying not to. "Now, shall we go elsewhere?"

"Sure. I warn you though, you may enjoy my company now, but I can't promise you will by the time my little vacation here is over."

"Oh, we'll see about that..."


	3. The Time Has Come

I took a deep breath and steadied myself. I could do this, I could do this...

I couldn't do this.

I was pacing back and forth in a new

bra, panties, and strappy heels, staring down at the blue gown I had bought yesterday for tonight's movie premiere. It was a confusing number, but oh-so-beautiful. And made me oh-so-nervous.

Lots of people were going to be there. Lots of cameras were going to be there. People would be taking _pictures_ of me. Of me! I knew it was only because I would be accompanying Ben, but still I was incredibly nervous. He would be coming down to my room to get me in just 45 minutes, and here I was, still standing in my undies. Oh, what the hêll.

I slipped the dress over my head and shimmied into it, making sure to pop my right arm through the one armhole. I pulled it down into place, noting how it was particularly tight around my chest. Maybe I should've gotten the size bigger...

"Oh well, there's no time to worry about it now..." I grabbed my mini bag and took it into the bathroom.

I brushed and quickly straightened my hair, hoping that would keep any frizz or stray hairs in place. My hair was odd because it was very easy to work with, but didn't stay in place for very long. It was sometimes annoying. But, at least it didn't interfere much with my jewelry. I could just tuck it behind my ear to show off the new earrings and necklace I'd also bought for this occasion.

With 20 minutes to go now, I started the tedious task of trying not to fûck up my makeup. Black eyeliner, bronze eyeshadow, black Mascara, and a bit of powder to dull the rising blush in my cheeks. I could tell my face was going to be red for most of this endeavor.

After a few final touches with some light lipstick, I looked on my phone to see it was time. I took a deep breath, smoothed my dress over my stomach, and exited the bathroom. I decided to leave my phone here, just because I didn't have anything to carry it in. I wasn't much one for purses.

Just before I headed out the door, my phone started to buzz.

I answered Sara's call with a cheery "Hellooo?"

She laughed. "I take it you're about to leave to the premiere?"

"And I'm incredibly nervous. And yes, I'm wearing a dress..."

"OH! You have to send me a picture! Before the paparazzi get one of you, I mean."

I chuckled. "Of course..." There was a knock at the door. "That'll be Ben. Gotta go."

"Ben? Since when do you call him Ben..?" I hung up on Sara, knowing that I'd left her wondering. And knowing that she'd probably call me later tonight to demand everything that had happened.

I pulled the door open and my jaw very nearly dropped. Ben stood there in a black suit and tie, his hair combed back, looking quite the gentleman that he was.

He stood frozen, looking just as shocked at my appearance at I was at his, even as I stood back to let him enter the room. "You going to stand there all night?"

"No, no...You look absolutely ravishing, Aphrodite." I bit my lip as my blush came forward, more because of his compliment than his use of my full name. "Are you ready?"

"Almost, yes...I was just going to take a picture of myself in the mirror to send to Sara. She doesn't believe I'd really wear a dress out in public." I chuckled to myself, but then looked down to avoid Ben's gaze.

What did I detect in that gaze? Desire? Lust? Was I just crazy and imagining the hunger in his eyes? I almost dearly hoped so.

"Well, why don't we take a picture for her together, just to prove you're really with me?"

"O-okay...There's a mirror, on the bathroom door..." I led him slowly into the large bathroom and shut the door behind us, and faced the full-length mirror on the back of the door.

I fumbled with my phone to get to the camera function, and jolted when one of his long white hands closed over mine and said "Let me. You seem nervous." I relinquished control and he found the camera quite easily, and stood behind me with his head poking out over my right shoulder. "Ready?"

I nodded. I smiled the best I could as he snapped the picture, then spun around and took a large step back. "I'll send that to her later...How 'bout we get going?"

"Certainly."

We made our way out of the room and down to the ground floor, and it being the middle of the day, we got many odd looks from people in the lobby. A few seemed to recognize Ben and looks of joy spread across their faces, and a look of sadness spread across mine. Knowing _that_ was how it was going to be all evening.

The BMW and its driver were waiting just outside the hotel. As Ben and I got in, I gave the man a twenty and said "Call it prepayment for tonight...Sorry I don't have more."

He smiled. "It's alright, ma'am, some people don't like to give us tips at all. Thank you." I got in and he shut the door behind me.

Ben remarked "You don't have much money, but are willing to be so gracious...You are rather remarkable."

I shrugged. "I think you'll find the poor are more gracious than the rich, because we don't want others to live the same terrible lives we do."

"And you're philosophical...Anything you don't do?"

"Oh, there's a long list of things I don't do...Hang out with me much longer, and you're apt to find out." He chuckled.

It was a bit of a long ride to the premiere, mostly because of traffic.

I got steadily more nervous as we got closer and closer to our destination. I tucked my hair behind my right ear and kept checking to make sure my makeup wasn't messing up, and smoothing out my dress over my legs. My breathing was double its normal rhythm, and I tapped my fingers on my leg anxiously.

My breath suddenly stopped and I froze as I felt Ben's warm hand cover my nervously tapping one, and hold it tight. I looked over at him and he smiled, saying "You're nervous, and it's showing. You must breathe deeply, remember that you are in control of yourself, not them. Focus on something else besides the people and the cameras, and you will be fine."

I began focusing on something else as he suggested, and my hand stopped twitching.

"There, better?" I smiled tightly and nodded, though I almost shook my head. Because what I was focusing on was his hand still tightly gripping mine, despite the fact that I knew my hands must've been all clammy from how nervous I was. I didn't remove my hand from his though. I would've lost my focus and got all twitchy-anxious again if I had.

We arrived at the event, and I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. I instinctively asked Ben "I don't look terrible, do I?" I always looked terrible.

He squeezed my hand and repositioned my hair behind my ear, making me gasp. "You look beautiful, Aphrodite. Absolutely stunning." I giggled a hysterical giggle as the driver got out of the car and went around to Ben's side to open his door. "Here we go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben got out and held his hand out for me. I grabbed it and exited the car, only for my breath to stop in my throat again. There were _so many people._ I was expecting a lot, but **dâmn!**

Stars. Fans. Reporters. And So. Many. Cameras. I very nearly fainted on the spot. But Ben gripped my hand tight again and murmured "Focus..." I took a deep breath, plastered a smile onto my face, and we moved forward.

It wasn't a straight shot, we kept stopping for Ben to talk to different reporters, pose for a picture, sign an autograph. He let go of my had to do that, and I kept my hands firmly in front of me when he did. Then he would put his hand on the small of my back and guide me along to the next person, where I would wait silently again.

Nobody took pictures of me directly or even talked to me, but I did get a few disapproving looks. And some that were quite a bit more than disapproving, just downright spiteful.

I turned away from one of those people in particular, and Ben leaned close to my ear and asked "You're not still thinking you look terrible, do you?"

I murmured back "So what if I am?"

"Then I'll tell you again. You look lovely, Aphrodite Chase..." He looked like he wanted to say something more, but was unsure.

"What? If you've got something else to say, just say it."

A playful smile settled on his lips. "Alright. As I was saying...You look lovely, Aphrodite Chase...And that is why I want to take you back to our hotel and completely ravish you later."

My mouth popped open into a tiny O, just as every muscle beneath my waistline clenched tight.

"W-wh-what..? What...did you...just say..?"

Ignoring a gaggle of nearby fangirls, he took both my hands in his and whispered privately in my ear. "I have only known you for two days, and I am not in the habit of doing this...But when you opened that door, and I saw you looking so beautiful in that gown...I very nearly took you right there in the doorway." I gasped. "You do not have to reciprocate my feelings, but I will not lie to you about them. Just as I did not lie when I told you how ravishing you look in that gown."

"Oh...Oh. _Oh."_ That was all I could manage to say to his proposition. I was thinking a million, no, a billion things more, but I didn't know how to put any of it into words.

"You have time to think about it. Please do." He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles lightly before leading me inside the building and away from all the people and cameras.

Everything was all situated for the movie to be played, and some celebrities were already in their seats. I recognized most of them but said nothing. I just followed Ben to our seats and sat quietly.

He continued to hold my hand as more people filed slowly in, and eventually said "You did wonderful in front of so many people."

I sarcastically replied "Really? Because I was kinda dying on the inside."

He chuckled. "Well, you didn't show it to the fans or the cameras, so nobody else will ever know. All they'll see is a confident, beautiful young woman who will probably be plastered all over some website by tomorrow morning. I don't doubt that everyone will be wondering who you are."

"Well, they can go ahead and wonder, because I'm not giving any names...What if the local news back home decides to send a reporter my way? No _way_ am I dealing with that."

"Well, as you've said so often to me...Hang out with me much longer, and it will happen." I made a face at his use of my words, and he chuckled again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh. My. God. That was amazing!" My apprehension and terror of just a few hours ago was all forgotten in the afterglow of the movie I had just seen. "The action and the effects, and...well, you were amazing as Khan, of course. Simply brilliant!"

Ben smiled. "I'm glad you seem to think so. The critics don't seem to be too happy with me being chosen for the role."

"Well, they can go suck a..." I stopped myself with a hand over my mouth, and Ben burst into laughter. "They can just go shove their opinions where the sun don't shine. Yes, that sounds _so_ much more civil..." I giggled at my own little joke. "Oh, didn't we have a dinner to attend?"

"Yes, I believe we did...Of course, we can also go to the after-party and have those drinks I promised you instead. And I'm sure you'll want to meet some famous person or another..." I giggled again. "That lovely little laugh...I take it you've recovered from your mood this morning?"

"Yes, I've recovered from my 'mood', as you call it...And we'll go wherever you want to go. After all, I've no idea where I am in this great big city."

"Party it is then. Perhaps a light dinner afterwards, as long as you don't have too much to drink." I feigned offense.

"I happen to have an excellent level of self control, Mr. Cumberbatch...I may have to end up being the one to watch over you by the end of this night."

"That sounds very much like a challenge, Ms. Chase."

"Perhaps it is, Benedict."

We grinned at each other like a couple of total loons until the BMW pulled up in the line of cars waiting to pick up everyone that was now filing out of the theatre. He pulled me by the hand and held the door open as I slid in first. He got in and recited some address I barely understood to the driver and we were off.

It wasn't a very long drive to where we were going, and once we got there, I said to the driver "I'm feeling rather exhausted, so we shouldn't be longer than an hour, perhaps two."

"Alright, ma'am. I shall wait nearby."

We got out and Ben inquired "You didn't tell me you were tired?"

I shrugged. "Being in these heels all day, coupled with the fact that I've been a nervous wreck...I think it would make anyone tired...I was also given a modicum of very surprising news by a gentleman outside the theatre this morning that just caused my brain to fizzle out."

"Shall I find and punish this gentleman for you? I am sure he will be of no match for me." I giggled again.

"While that would be all sorts of amusing to see...I think I will punish him myself, when I see him alone again. It is a little known fact that I am a master torturer."

"Really?" I nodded triumphantly, and we both burst into laughter again.

The party inside wasn't much different than what I was expecting, except for all the famous people, of course. There was music, lights, dancing, drinking...eerily similar to many a party I had been to, before I 'left' my parents house and most of my friends behind.

"What do you think?"

I spun to face Ben, his deep baritone voice telling me that he was behind me.

"It looks a lot like a couple of parties I went to before...Back when I was a bit of a party animal, that was."

"Ah, so you _do_ have a fun side...Why don't we go and exploit it now?" I shrugged and he pulled me along to the bar. "What'll you have?"

"How about just a bourbon on the rocks? Or do say 'on ice' over here?"

"Coming right up, Ms. Chase." Ben spoke to the bartender, and came back just a moment after with two glasses full of amber liquid, tinkling with ice cubes. "Here you are."

"Thank you, Mr. Cumberbatch...Quite this gentleman this evening, you are." I sipped at my glass and my throat burned all the way down to my stomach, which immediately was filled with a warm and fuzzy sensation that caused my tense muscles to relax. "Oh, I needed that...To help loosen up sore, tense muscles..."

"Oh? You're sore and tense...I can't imagine what from." I bit my lip, trying to resist breaking out in a full-blown grin. If he wanted to play this game, fine. I could play too.

"Well, you remember that gentleman that told me he wanted to ravish me on the red carpet? It so happens that I got quite excited by his offer, and everything south of my waist clenched up tight...Luckily I was able to control myself, and did not pounce on him right there."

While I was speaking, I noticed Ben had frozen with his glass at the edge of his lips, his eyes trained on me. So I kept right on talking.

"I couldn't help my reaction...The man had the most sensual voice, and spoke so eloquently...I was enraptured."

He lowered his glass slowly and asked "Do you make a habit of taunting men with your sêxuality?"

"Well, I did warn you that I was a master torturer, didn't I?" I bit my lip and that seemed to set him off.

He took my glass from me and set both of ours on the bar, and took my hand and almost dragged me out of the party. On the inside, I was both squealing with glee and drawing back in fear. I didn't know what to do, so I just followed him outside.

We hadn't been inside long, and the BMW was still waiting out front. The driver asked "Ma'am?"

"I guess we left earlier than we thought...Back to the Strand Palace, I guess..."

He nodded as Ben and I slid in the back, and took off.

I continued gnawing on my lip as I gazed up at Ben, and when he said "Now that we're effectively alone..." everything south of my waist clenched up again. My insides were aching for relief.

He moved closer to me, our thighs touching, but I held up a finger, which I then pointed at the driver, though he seemed to be studiously ignoring us. Ben seemed to understand my hesitance and nodded, but kept a firm hand on mine as we sped back towards the hotel.

The driver bade us goodnight as we exited the car and entered into the hotel. Past the front desk to the lifts, we somehow got one without anyone else occupying it. Ben pulled me into that one and hit the button for 6.

"Now that we're _really_ alone..." I gasped as I was pushed against the wall of the elevator and Ben pressed the length of his body against mine. He pulled my lower lip from the grip of my teeth and pulled my face to his in a swift embrace.

Though I hadn't touched someone else like this in quite a long time, my body knew exactly what to do. I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and held him tight, pouring everything I had into the kiss. Our tongues entwined as well as our bodies, and I could feel his growing bulge pressing against my stomach.

As soon as the lift doors opened on floor 6, I was whisked down the hall to room 619. Ben unlocked the door and we very nearly fell through, but let go of each other just long enough to shut the door and make it to the huge bed before wrapping our limbs around each other again.

Ben straddled me as he tore off his jacket and tie, but I stopped him as he went for his shirt buttons. I made quick work of those and his cufflinks, and was left to marvel at the beauty that was his bare chest. I ran my hands along the entire surface of his heated skin, and he let out a long sigh. I scrambled out from beneath him and put my mouth to his skin next, trailing kisses across his chest and sculpted abdomen.

Just as I was about to go for the buckle on his pants, he stopped me and said "I think it's your turn." I stood on my knees and lifted my hands above my head, and he lifted my dress off in one fell swoop. "Oh, you have a wonderful body indeed, Aphrodite...And I intend to enjoy every inch of it. Lay down."

I laid on my back as ordered, and he slid his large hands down the length of my legs to my feet. There, he unzipped the back of my heels and took them off, and trailed kisses along my legs as he made his way back up to my face.

"Lift your bottom." I did, and he pulled my lacy panties around my bottom, and lifted my ankles high in the air as he pulled them down the length of my legs. By the time they were off, my ankles were beside his ears, and his hard bulge was pressed against my naked backside. "You look so wonderful like this, Aphrodite...But I'm afraid I'll have to turn you over for a moment."

I brought my legs down as he urged me to turn, and I let out a long sigh at the unclasping of my bra. My confined breasts were finally free.

When I turned back over he gasped as well. Taking my breasts in his hands, or as much of their large size as he could, he said "I have never seen a more magnificent pair of these on anyone...How can you not believe you are beautiful, Aphrodite?"

"Because nobody makes me feel like I am." The response was automatic. I'd thought about it so often, it was stamped in my mind like some terrible brand.

"Then I shall make you feel like you are." His mouth fastened to one of my nipples and I gasped, and he grazed it with his teeth, causing my gasped to turn into a high-pitched shriek.

My back arched high into the air, pushing my breasts harder against his skilled hands and mouth. When I was at the height of feeling, the pleasure coursing through every artery and vein in my body, he suddenly stopped. My body fell back against the bed, and I look at him with an unspoken plea: _what the hêll did you stop for?!_

He kissed me on my tender lips once more before saying "I said I intend to conquer every inch of you, and so I shall." He made quick work of his belt and pants, tearing both those and his underwear off in the same quick motion. He settled his slender body on mine, and I could feel him hard against me, teasing me. "You teased me, shall I now tease you?" I shook my head vehemently. "Oh? Why not?"

"Because..." Feeling quite brave in that moment, I decided to say something I'd never said aloud before. I pull his head to mind and murmured in his ear "I want you inside of me...Now."

Obeying my wish, he tilted his hips and slammed into me, causing me to cry out. He wiggled his hips around and around, swirling himself around inside of me, and I groaned loudly. "Please..."

"Hm?" I could tell he was still torturing me as he leaned in close again and asked "What was that? I didn't quite hear."

"Please...Please don't torture me any more..."

"As you wish, Aphrodite. Give me your legs." He pulled first one ankle and then the other back up onto his shoulders, and slammed into me again.

I cried out again and again, my voice rising in pitch each time he slammed into me, until it was one long scream that only dogs must've been able to hear. His hands closed around my breasts again and he pinched my nipples hard, and I felt myself begin to quiver around him.

He must've felt it too, because he relaxed his pace, now moving in and out of me purposefully slow. I whimpered, begging wordlessly for release.

Ben thrusted hard, then pulled back out slowly, then hard in again, causing me to go insane with pleasure. He did it again and again and again, and it finally became too much, and I clenched hard around him as my insides fell to pieces and I shouted his name into oblivion.

He finished soon after, his teeth biting into the skin of my calf as he prevented himself from shouting out as I did.

Ben fell onto the bed beside me, both of us panting, a light sheen of sweat on our bodies. I could feel the outlines of his hands on my breasts and hips, and my entire body was pulsating. I was going to be sore in the morning, I knew. But it was oh _so_ worth it.


	4. Afterglow

I didn't know if it was the sunlight

streaming through the windows, or the fact that it felt like I was running a 102° fever, but I wrestled myself awake to look for some relief. I quickly found out why it felt like I had a fever: Ben and I were wrapped around each other like vines, his chin resting on my head, and a thick blanket covering the both of us.

I pulled one of my arms from around him and lifted the blanket up, and saw we were both nâked.

"Oh. My. God." I could barely believe the position I was in. I could barely believe what I had done, what _we_ had done...What we had done!

I carefully peeled Ben's limbs off of me and rolled out of bed, landing quite heavily on the carpeted floor. I poked my head up to make sure he was still asleep before dashing nâked into the bathroom and shutting the door. I grabbed the edge of the counter and stared into the mirror above the sink, assessing myself.

There were small, fingertip-sized bruises around my brêasts, and dark hickeys on both sides of my neck. I groaned. I turned to the full length mirror on the back of the door, unsurprised to see more finger-sized bruises on my hips. I could also swear that my nîpples were bruised too, if that was even possible. My lips definitely were. They were dark and sore and swelled up, making it look like I was still wearing lipstick.

That reminded that I still had remnants of my eye makeup on, so I went to the sink and quickly scrubbed my face off with warm water and a towel.

When I'd gotten every last bit of makeup off that I could, I quickly combed my fingers through my hair to get rid of any knots and exited the bathroom.

Ben was on his stomach, face buried in a pillow, but I could see one blue-gold eye peeking up at me. I quickly crawled back underneath the covers and pulled them up to my neck, so he could only see my head.

"I didn't realize you were awake yet."

"I heard you mulling about in there, thought I should get up...You're rather dazzling this morning."

I scrunched my face up and stuck my tongue out. "No I'm not...You're probably just hörny and try to get me to go for round 2. Or is it 3...Whatever round we're at."

Ben chuckled and turned on his side, and I could immediately feel his arousal against my leg.

"Well, it is the morning...But you must be tired and sore, Aphrodite. We did do it several times last night."

I grinned sheepishly, remembering each time. It made me aroused all over again.

"Tired...Sore...Bruised...Did you know nîpples could get bruised? Because I sure as hêll didn't know that."

"Mmm...Let me have a look at these bruised nîpples." He suddenly dove under the blanket and I felt him on my brêasts again. "Oh my, they do look bruised...Perhaps I should kiss them better?" I gasped as his lips closed around one of them, the sensation a breathtaking mixture of pain and pleasure. He flicked it with his wet tongue and I very nearly came undone right then and there. "You're awfully tender...Perhaps I'll give your body a bit of a rest."

Ben's head popped up form under the blanket between my brêasts and I let out a laugh. His hair was an absolute mess, but he looked positively radiant. Even more so than he had been at the premiere yesterday.

"I look a frightful mess, don't I?"

"No Aphrodite, you don't." Ben took my face in his hands and made me look at him. "You. Are. Beautiful. If it is not enough that I think so, remember all those women that were jealous of you at the premiere. They were jealous because you were the prettiest woman on that carpet."

"I'm pretty sure they were jealous just because I was accompanying you. I'm nothing, but you..? You're tall, handsome, you have the most sultry voice...and you're rich and famous. Women everywhere and anywhere want you, and I'm pretty sure some of the guys do too."

Ben chuckled. _"That_ is a double standard, Ms. Chase."

"Oh, we're speaking about double standards now? Well, why is it that I'm covered in bruises and hickeys and you're without a single scratch?"

"That is hardly a double standard."

"Well, I'm making it one." I had to fight to keep a serious expression as Ben broke into a fit of laughter beside me.

When he was nearly in tears, he finally managed to say "If you feel I should be marked, then mark away." He laid on his back and threw off the covers, revealing his long white body in all its nâked glory.

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't tempt me, Mr. Cumberbatch. I may just decide to take a chunk out of your neck with my teeth."

"Oh really?"

I grinned wickedly before launching myself at him. He didn't have enough time to move, and so I started to nibble playfully at his neck, and his booming laugh echoed through the bedroom.

"Alright, alright, alright!" I released his neck and sat up on his lap. "You've made your point, and probably a mark as well. So...now that we're even..."

I shook my head. "We're not anywhere _near_ even. My nîpples are bruised and sensitive."

"What, are you going to do the same to me?"

I thought about it for a moment. While it was tempting, there was also a certain other body part I was really interested in at that same moment...

"Not the same no. I'm going to do something else." I extracted myself from the blanket and threw it on his face, and climbed off of his lap. I situated myself between his long legs.

Throwing the blanket off to the side, he looked down and asked "What are you going to do?"

"Oh...nothing..." Keeping my eyes trained on his, I reached down and took hold of his shâft, licked around and around the tip, and sucked hard on it for just a second. "Nothing at all, Benedict."

Knowing I would catch him off guard, I suddenly buried him in my mouth, sucking hard and pulling him in until he poked at the back of my throat. Ben gasped and moaned, which I took to be a good thing, so I went further. Testing my gag reflex like I never had before, I took him in until my lips touched his base and there was no more to take in. And then I pulled him out. And put him back in.

And pulled him out, licked over and around and up and down, and plunge him all the way in my mouth again. He fidgeted and moaned my name, grabbing at my hair and the bed and anything within reach. I could feel Ben's muscles tighten and knew he was near his end, and took no mercy. As he shouted a garbled version of my name, I pulled him out and sucked hard on his tip until he was drained. And as he stared down at me in disbelief, I swallowed.

I wiped a bit of spittle from my mouth and climbed back onto his lap.

"Aphrodite...You...That...was _amazing."_

"Really?"

"Yes!" I laughed as he pulled me down to him and hugged me tightly. "I don't care if you've just given me the most amazing bløw job of my life, I want to kiss you, dâmmît." And he did.

A tongue-swirling, lip-locking, passion filled kiss. I eventually broke it, erupting in giggles. "You're a weirdo, you know that? Who kisses a woman after she's just sucked him off?"

"Me, apparently. It's only right that I return the favor somehow..." A wicked gleam appeared in Ben's eyes, and I was suddenly very afraid.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing..." his repeating of my words gave it away and I tried to flee, but I was too late. Ben practically tossed me down on the bed and pulled my legs wide apart, setting himself right between them. "I'm a gentleman, Aphrodite, and I'm doing the gentlemanly thing by repaying you."

I didn't have time to respond before he buried his face between my thighs and I lost all coherent thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just curious...why are you staying in this hotel?" Ben looked up from his lunch. We had ordered from room service, and were eating in the second room of his hotel suite. I was jealous; my room was just the bed and bathrooms.

"I thought it would be better to be closer to whomever I was to be meeting."

I pursed my lips. "What if it had turned out to be a guy, and not me?" Ben laughed.

"I still would have stayed here. As you very well know, I am a gentleman, or I like to pretend to be." I giggled. "It seems you've done away with all of that and made me into a delinquent."

"Delinquency happens to be a whole lot of fun. I would know, remember?"

"Ah, yes...Your childhood delinquency streak...You never did tell me about that, your childhood, I mean." I shrugged. "Did you not promise?"

I shrugged again. "It's not something that should be brought up in civil conversation, let alone a public place."

"Then let us go to a place that is not so public." I raised an eyebrow. "I live half an hour up the road, if you'd like to go there and talk...Or perhaps spend the rest of your vacation there."

"You'd let me, a common girl you don't even know, live at your flat for a week? Well, 5 days, but still. It's crazy!" Ben's eyebrow shot up. "What?"

"Is this because of the same reason you don't let others take care of you?" I shrugged. "Well, regardless of that, I'm going to take care of you while I have you. Because, after this, I've got to go back to Cardiff and you've got to go back to America."

"Cardiff?"

Ben sighed. "I'm filming there, but there's a break in shooting this week, which is why I've been given the opportunity to meet you. I'll be living 2 and a half hours away next week, and you'll be across an entire ocean. I _beg_ you to take this opportunity while it's here."

Ben looked pleadingly, urgently, at me until I groaned in defeat. "Fine, I will come live in your flat for the next 5 days...But you're not allowed to complain, because you're the one that invited me!"

"Yes! Thank you!" Ben came over and pulled me to my feet and into a rib-crushing hug. I giggled a high-pitched girly giggle, and Ben grinned. "You are the most amazing woman I have met to date."

"I could say the same about you...Minus the woman part, of course. Unless there's something I should know about..?" Ben looked offended.

"Ms. Chase, you should know for a fact that I am a man, considering what...parts of me you have seen these last few days. Unless you need a reminder?"

"Well, I am an awfully forgetful person...So reminders are good."

"Well then..." Ben pushed my plate across the table and wiped the space free of crumbs. "I suppose we should get to it, eh?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This house is nice...But I thought you lived in a flat?"

"Best not to give away too many details...You never know who's a nutter willing to follow you home."

I snickered. "Despite that, you still invited me into your home? What if I'm one of those crazy nutters you celebrities have to worry about?"

"Then I'll just have to keep a close watch on you." Ben suddenly hugged me tight from behind and I yelped. "A _very_ close watch."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that..." I spun in his arms to face him. "But how about we get settled and get something to eat first, hm? I wouldn't want your producers to come hunting for me when you go into the hospital, all starving and dehydrated." He laughed.

"Alright, food first. What shall we dine on this evening?"

"What do you have?" He smiled bashfully, and I had to resist the urge to go up and pinch his cheeks. I thought to myself, **Get it together! You're going to be seeing this face for the next week, so get used to it!**

"Not much...I haven't been here very often lately, so I keep food items to a minimum." I bit my lip.

Food items to a minimum? That was okay. I'd worked with 'nothing' before and made a meal out of it. For most of my life, actually.

I went directly to the kitchen and searched every cabinet and in the fridge and freezer. There was indeed very little to work with: pasta, some vegetables, a couple of different frozen meats, and some herbs and spices that looked like they hadn't been touched in awhile.

I stood back and said "I think I can make a meal out of this...Care to help, or going to busy yourself with the television or computer or the like?"

"I may try to help...but I don't think I'll be very useful. I happen to be a very basic cook, nothing elaborate."

"It doesn't have to be elaborate to be good...I should know, since I had to feed myself pretty much all my life. I learned how to boil noodles almost the same time as I began to tie my own shoes." Ben raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, not going there right now..."

He held up his hands. "Alright, I shan't ask...How about we get started?"

I gave a meek smile and started about our work.

Peeling, mashing, and stewing tomatoes, and adding spices for a sauce; boiling pasta to go with the sauce; defrosting and broiling steaks as the main course...There was half as much food left in the cabinets and fridge as there was before we started, and I made a note to tell Ben to go to the market sometime soon.

These tasks were usually quite tedious and boring for me, but somehow, Ben made them...fun. Splashing ice cold water on me as we peeled tomatoes, practically covering himself in tomato juice when he accidentally squeezed a peeled one, asking just how I knew which spices and what amounts to add to the sauce and rub into the steak...

He looked at me like some sort of master chef, though I was nowhere near such. Hêck, it'd been so long since I'd actually taken my time cooking like this, that I was surprised I remembered how to. Sara and I usually ate take-out or frozen TV dinners, and when I did cook for us, it was usually something quite simple. Here in Ben's house, I didn't have all the pre-prepared ingredients I usually did, and making everything from scratch...

It reminded me of better times.

Oh, what was I talking about?! I didn't have better times. Right here, right now, in Ben's house...these were my better times. Once I went back home, nothing would be quite the same. I'd go back to being a poor, useless waste of space with no purpose.

I sighed aloud; I really needed to stop over-thinking things. Or just stop thinking about things altogether.

"Aphrodite? Are you alright?" I blinked several times before looking up at Ben. "Aphrodite?"

"What? Uh...Yes, I'm fine, I'm alright..." I could tell he didn't believe me one bit. I didn't even believe me. "I'm fine, really!"

"No, you're not." He pulled me up from where I was leaning against his counter, and my legs turned the consistency of jelly. Somehow, though, I managed to stay upright. "You're shaking and your eyes tell me you are somewhere else entirely. Your voice is hoarse and you look as if you're about to shatter into a million pieces. Tell. Me. What. Is. Wrong."

I shook my head. "I can't...It is hard enough for me to deal with every bad thing that is my life; I cannot afford to worry about whether my troubles will break you as well."

"Do you think you are the only one with troubles?" Ben sounded...unsettled. "I wonder why anyone would want to watch me perform. I do not think I am worthy of the praise and the accolades my fame has provided me. I don't think I deserve any of it. But you, Aphrodite...You are beautiful and kind and deserving of the world. But you have so many troubles weighing you down, and refuse to share them with anyone..."

My expression changed from one of confusion and disbelief to one of extreme bitterness.

"You want to know why I am the way I am? You _really_ want to know? Fine. I'll tell you."

I began to list every bad thing I could think of, and as I spoke, Ben's face fell further and further until I thought it could fall no more.

"When I was in elementary school, my mother as separated from my father for a while, and one day she left me and my siblings at her boyfriends house, and he tried to mølest me. I had enough sense to kick him in the stomach and run downstairs. Some months, maybe a year or two later, I was staying the night at a friend's house, and her dad started to touch me while I was sleeping in the same bed as his daughter. I never went back to her house after that.

I was often abused physically and mentally by both of my parents. I was beaten with fists, shoes, belts, thrown down stairs and stepped on, pretty much any terrible thing you can think of. Our house was also a pit; it was dirty and there were mice and roaches and barely ever anything to eat. During the time I was 17, I had sêxûal contact with 5 different men. That might not seem significant, but that June...Well, let's just say that one of those men was against my will."

**"Aphrodite!"** Ben shouted my name frantically as his eyes filled with tears. I almost didn't notice as I kept right on telling him what he'd asked to hear.

"Of course, even if I wanted to do anything against him I couldn't, because the February after, he and I had another tryst, and I was all-too-willing that time. I think I was feeling lonely and just wanted someone to touch me...I don't know. It doesn't really matter either way, because nobody knows about it. Not even Sara. _Especially_ not Sara. She'd want to go the legal route, trying to have the guy sent to prison and all that, and frankly, I just don't feel like going through that. Besides, who'd care about one little teenage slût getting râped?"

_**"APHRODITE!"**_ I finally stopped talking, and immediately regretted opening my mouth. Ben's eyes were streaming with tears and his face was ruddy; he looked like me on the many occasions I'd cried during my life. Oh no, oh no no no...

"Ben...Benedict..."

He held up a hand and said "Shut. Up." I was so surprised by those words coming out of his mouth that I silenced instantly. The shock even overwhelmed my usual urge of getting pissed at whoever was telling me to shut up.

Ben rubbed at his eyes but the tears just kept coming, and senseless noises came from his mouth as he struggled to form words. My eyes watered up and gushed tears as I watched his conflict, but I stayed silent.

Finally, after I didn't know how long, he began to speak coherent words.

"Aphrodite...how could you go through all of that? Your mother's boyfriend, your friend's father, and that man...I would **kill** him now if I could find him!" Ben suddenly slammed his hands down on a nearby table and everything on it clattered to the floor. "How could you not do anything about him violating you?!" He picked up the small trinkets and vase that had been on the table and started throwing them, and the sound of glass tinkling to the floor filled my ears.

"Ben..."

He threw the last of it and turned to me, his face a mix of agony and rage. "Aphrodite, you should have done something to put that man in prison. You were not a slût, you were just a confused, hurt girl that did not deserve what that man did to you. You did not deserve what any of those men or what your own _parents_ did to you. How can you not see that?"

"I told you before that nobody made me feel pretty? They didn't make me feel loved either. I have never felt pretty, loved, happy, useful, worthwhile, or any other kind of goodness. I've only ever felt like a piece of shît and that's how everyone has always treated me."

Ben closed the gap between us in two long strides and forcefully took my face in his two hands. "You are not ugly or hated or worthless, or any of those negative things. You are a wonderful person on the inside as well as the outside, and everybody in this world knows it. They can see it. You float when you walk and shine like the brightest star...Men want you and women want to be you, and you just can't see it. But it's true."

I shrugged. "I just don't believe it..." Ben sighed and gripped my face tighter, to the point of pain.

He wiped away my tears with his thumbs and asked "What will it take to make you believe?"

"I don't know...I don't know if I ever can believe."

Ben leaned forward, his forehead pressing against mine as he let out a long sigh. I finally got up the courage to touch his face and the tracks on his skin where his tears had flowed. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him to me.

Not a passionate hug-and-kiss, but just hugging him as tightly as I could as he buried his face in my neck and broke.


	5. A Thief In The Night

"Would it be possible for my driver to come and take me to the airport now? I wish go back home early."

The woman on the other end of the line said "Yes, we can get him to you now. Are you still located at the Palace Strand Hotel?"

"No, no...Can he retrieve me at the corner of South Hill Park and South End Road? It is very nearby to where I have been staying."

"Yes, we can have you picked up there. You driver should arrive in...about 15 minutes, ma'am."

"Thank you." I hung up and looked down at Ben as he slept. He looked peaceful, much better than he had while he was awake. He had been so upset, so traumatized...and it was my fault. I shoulder never have spilled my guts to him like I did. I should've just stayed silent and enjoyed the rest of my week here and gone home happy.

But here I was, sneaking away like a thief in the night, ashamed of all I had done. I bent down and kissed Ben lightly on the lips before grabbing my bag and my new

blue heels in my hand and tiptoeing out of the house.

I slipped them on once I was safely out of the house where Ben wouldn't hear them clicking on the sidewalk, and made my way towards my meeting point with the driver.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sorry I'm late!" I was panting a bit by the time I reached the corner where the BMW was already waiting.

"It's alright, ma'am, I haven't been waiting long." He took my bag and went to put it in the trunk. He then asked "Might I ask why you are leaving so late at night?"

"I just...I need to be back home. I'm going through a bit of a hard time at the moment."

"I'm sorry ma'am...Shall we be going?" I nodded and got into the car.

Before we pulled off, I asked the driver "What is your name?"

"Steven, ma'am."

"Well Steven, here is your final tip from me." I handed him a €50 banknote, after having exchanged a bit of the money given to me the other day at a bank.

"Thank you ma'am, you are very generous." He took the note and tucked it into his jacket and set off.

It wasn't as long of a drive as I expected, because there wasn't much traffic. It was almost 1am, after all.

The airport was also less crowded than I expected it to be, but there was still quite a few people entering and exiting. I retrieved my bag from the driver and thanked him again, and went inside to the front desk to exchange my ticket. I'd called previously to see if there were any available flights I could switch to, and there was one leaving to Baltimore in about an hour. I was just in time to catch it.

Through security, waiting in the business class lounge, and boarding the plane before anyone else. This time, the seat beside me was taken, but the man sitting there dutifully ignored me. I sighed with relief. I didn't want to have to suffer through an entire flight of forced conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I walked into the apartment, feet aching and head swimming, I was greeted by a scream.

"Dyte!" Sara practically skipped to me and enclosed me in a hug. I stood frozen until she released me and asked "What're you doing back so early?"

"Early from my trip, or early because it's 4am?"

"Both..?" I chuckled at Sara's confused tone of voice. "Seriously, why are you here? You weren't supposed to be back for a few more days."

"And I didn't expect you to be awake right now...I just needed to get the hêll outta London. I had my fun, I went to the premiere, and there was nothing else for me to do around there...Time to come back home."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad you're home...but you can't have just wanted to 'come home.' Right before you left, you were complaining about how you needed to go on vacation, and now that you're on one, you've bailed! Something had to've happened over there."

"Nothing happened..." I could tell she didn't believe me. "Fine, I might've had it out with Ben..." Sara gasped.

"Did you hit him?" I shook my head. "Well, that's a relief...We don't need some fancy celebrity lawyer coming after you..."

"Oh, it's nothing like that!" I groaned and threw my bag down and dropped down onto the couch. "It wasn't violent, it wasn't some big dramatic thing that'll make the papers...We just...I told Ben some stuff about me. Bad stuff. He got all upset and started crying with me, and I left his house in the middle of the night..."

"You were at his house!? Dyte!"

"Don't yell at me, okay!" Sara's eyes grew wide as I pulled myself back to my feet and towered over her. "You weren't fûcking there, so don't go judging me! You weren't there when he calmed me down at the movie premiere, or when he told me how beautiful I was, or when I spent the night with him in his hotel room...You weren't there when he _asked_ me to stay with him for the rest of

my vacation, or when I told him every bad thing that's ever happened to me, or when he started sobbing on my shoulder because what happened to _me_ had hurt _him._ You're not the one that had to leave him in the middle of the night because you'd scarred him for life. You didn't take a 7 1/2 hour plane ride here, wishing you could turn around and take it all back. You. Don't. Know. Me."

Sara took several steps back. "Well, if that's the way you feel..." She turned around and immediately ran into her room and slammed the door. I could swear I saw tears in her eyes as she turned away from me, but I wasn't going to go in and see. She had pissed me off enough already.

I got my things and trudged into my own room, and kicked off my heels before teetering over onto my bed. I buried my face in my pillow as fresh tears began to flow. I cried for yelling at Sara, I cried for the terrible things that I was remembering, and I cried for Benedict. He didn't deserve to know those things, and he didn't deserve for me to leave in the middle of the night without a word. Well, there were a few words...

I could remember the words of my note that I left in my place on his bed.

/Dear Ben...  
I'm sorry I told you those terrible things about me you should've never had to know. I never wanted to utter them to anyone, to make anyone carry my burden...But now you are. And that is why I had to leave you. I've taken an early flight home, and I hope that you don't try to track me down...We both know I'm excellent at evading detection.  
Your Aphrodite/

I'd signed it 'Your Aphrodite' because he was the only person that called me by my first name...And he was the only person that I liked the way he said my name. In his deep baritone voice, with his posh accent...

"No!" I lifted my head and punched my pillow again and again. I couldn't think of him! It was just a stupid fling, he was just a stupid fling. Just a few nice words and some good -okay, mind-blowing- sêx, that's all it was...Yet my heart tugged in my chest, trying desperately to tell me otherwise. Deeper feelings were stirring way down inside, deep in the bottom of my heart, and I tried desperately to banish them.

My efforts were in vain, especially as my phone began to vibrate. I looked to see Ben's name appear on the screen and I broke down further, crying so hard I very nearly vomited on myself. I couldn't breathe, my heart was racing, my entire body was pulsating with pain...

What the hêll was happening to me?

My phone stopped ringing and my level of panic began to steadily decrease...And then rocketed back up again when it vibrated with a text. With shaking hands I unlocked the screen, struggling to read the words through my haze of salty tears.

_Aphrodite, where are you? Are you safely home? Why won't you answer me?_

Another came just minutes after the first. _Call me immediately. I want to talk...About this note you left me and about why you really left._

A third and final text came that caused my heart to nearly jump out of my chest in alarm. _Don't make me violate your wishes and come find you._

I sat up in bed and willed myself to calm down. I could do this...

I nearly dissolved into hysterical laughter as I realized the aftermath of the last time I had said that exact same line. I'd ended up in bed with a complete stranger, and ruined his life only a day or so later...I really needed to go back to being a shut-in.

I gingerly opened my contacts and clicked on Ben's name, right at the top of the very short list. My hand began to shake again as I lifted the phone to my ear. It shook so bad that I had to hold it with both hands or else I would've dropped it.

Ben answered on the very first ring and bellowed my name. "Aphrodite! Where are you?! Are you alright, have you..?!"

"Ben!" He didn't quiet and I shouted louder. **"Ben!"**

"I'm just...so glad to hear from you...You were gone when I awoke, and I could not find you anywhere. And then I saw your note..."

"I meant it when I told you not to try and track me down. Our little fling...it's done with. I ruined it with what I told you and I didn't want you to stick around to see the outcome..."

"What outcome? What haven't you told me?"

"Not much...just that I'm sure you don't want to be bothered with a crazy girl that has a history of suicide attempts. I mean, who would?"

"Suicide attempts..? APHRODITE! YOU HAD BETTER NOT TRY ANYTHING STUPID BEFORE I GET THERE!"

"Goodbye Benedict...I'm sorry I had to bother you with my petty troubles..." I hung up on the sound of his sad, strangled voice and tossed my phone to the floor. I knew he wouldn't really show up at my apartment...I wasn't worth the trouble of tracking me down and traveling 3,500 miles across an ocean.

I laid back down and pulled the covers over myself without undressing. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but all I could think about was how miserable Ben had been the last time I saw him, and how miserable he must've been now.

He probably had tears streaming down his face again, and I could imagine calling my name between deep, gravelly sobs...

His face flashed past my eyes again and they jerked open.

I didn't move.

My room was filled with light, and not from the light fixture in the middle of the ceiling.

I sat up and looked at my phone, still laying beside me on the bed. It read noon. How in the..? When had I fallen asleep? All I remembered was thinking of Ben's tortured face, and the next thing I know, it's morning...Had I fallen asleep without realizing it?

I groaned. I had fallen asleep...And, judging by the lack of noise in the apartment, Sara had left for work while I was asleep. I got up, a little woozy, and staggered my way to the door. I opened it and a folded piece of paper drifted to the carpet. Sara left me a note?

/Dyte-  
You've gotta go. I can't afford to support us both and deal with how bad you've gotten lately. Please have your things packed by the end of next week.  
-Sara/

I crumpled the note and tossed it to the ground and went into the kitchen. This was fantastic...I ruined Ben's life and Sara was kicking me out...Could anything else bad happen to me today? I thought to myself **God, I hope it doesn't.**

I leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed heavily into my hands. What the hêll was I going to do..? I still didn't have a job, I barely had any money, I had nowhere to go...I sure as hêll wouldn't go grovelling back to my family. That was out of the question.

I groaned and pounded my fists down on the edge of the counter.

_**"Fûck!"**_ I turned and threw my fist as hard as I could into the cabinet in front of me, splintering the white-painted wood and crashing whatever dishes lay behind. My fist dripped red and I cursed aloud again. The other fist followed almost the same path, smashing through another cabinet and whatever lay behind it, and more blood dripped from my arms.

The white cabinets and black countertops soon became splattered with red as I furiously hit everything within reach. I broke cabinets, I kicked the stove, I threw dishes against the wall...The tile floor of the kitchen and part of the carpeted TV room glittered with bloody glass shards that sparkled like rubies. It was almost beautiful, in a sick-and-twisted sort of way.

I stared down at my mess, a lot more woozy from the blood loss, and decided I would get out of here today. No waiting until the end of the week.

In my bedroom was a cache of medical supplies in case I 'hurt' myself, and I quickly wrapped my hands in gauze and tied off the ends in knots. It wouldn't help for long, but I just needed long enough to pack my things. Luckily, I hadn't unpacked my bag from London, so it was actually only a half-job. The rest of my clothes fit into another bag, and besides clothes, I didn't have much else. My phone, a pocketknife, a lighter, and a couple of books all fit into my second bag.

I left the mess of bloody glass on the floor for Sara to clean up when she got home. She dropped a bombshell on me this morning, and I was only returning the favor. I hoped my blood stained everything.

Once I was out of the building and out on the street, I really had no idea where to go. There were a few people I could probably crash with for a night or two, but I hadn't talked to them in ages...I didn't know if they'd even see me.

I dragged my things along with me down the street to a nearby park. It wasn't really a park, just a courtyard with some benches and a fountain, but the city called it a park. Oh well. I sat at one of the empty bench partitions and dug my phone out of my bag again. There was a notification of missed calls from Ben, and several texts from him sat waiting in my inbox. The most recent was from just two hours ago.

I ignored them and went to my contacts. I hit 'Call' on the name of 'Nat-chan', the nickname of a girl named Natalie that I'd known in school. We hadn't spoke much, but she was a cool Christian girl that was always willing to help everyone...I hoped she could help me now.

"Hello?" Her cheery voice surprised me. Then I remembered that I was the only one miserable at the moment. "Dyte?"

"Hi Natalie...I guess I don't have to ask if you remember me, huh?"

She laughed, and it was a joyous sound. I was jealous. "No, I remember you just fine. How are ya?"

"Not good...That's actually why I was calling...I just got back from a little vacation and Sara kicked me out, so I was wondering if I could maybe stay at your place for a night or two...Or at least come over for a few hours to cool down."

"What?! I heard about your vacation, but she kicked you out..? Why?"

"It was my fault...I yelled at her over something, it was a horrible fight..."

"Well, come on over so you can explain it to me. Or I can come get you...? I've got a car now."

I chuckled; figures she'd have a car by now. She always did do well for herself. "I'm at Binn's park. If you could come get me, that'd be great...And maybe we can make a side trip to the hospital?"

"Why?"

"Oh, not much...I'm just dizzy from blood loss. I kinda got pissed this morning and broke a few things..."

"Oh my God, you really haven't changed...I'll be right there." She hung up and I took a deep breath. That had gone almost exactly like I had hoped it would. I knew she wouldn't be so cheery once she got here, though, because of how I'd been 'hurt.'

I actually was getting dizzy. My makeshift bandages were tight on my hands and I could see the red seeping through. The darker the red, the more lightheaded I got. If Natalie didn't get here soon, I was going to pass out on this bench. Then I'd fit in with all the other homeless people that congregated here.

My phone rang and, no surprise, it was Benedict. I don't know if it was because I was out of my mind with blood loss or something else, but I actually answered.

He was greeted with my sad, groggy "Yeah?"

"Aphrodite, you're alive!"

"Of course I am...Unfortunately. What d'you want?"

"Your address. I've been roaming around this city for the last hour because you won't answer your phone."

"This city...? What city?" He was silent for a moment.

"Aphrodite, are you drunk?" I sniggered.

"Nope...This morning I found out Sara is kicking me out, so I trashed her place. I've lost quite a bit of blood...I suppose you could say it's making me delirious."

"Dyte, you tell me where the hêll you are right now. I'm coming to get you and take you to the hospital."

"Why don't you come and find me? Isn't that what you threatened?"

I hung up as I saw Natalie running my way. She wore sunglasses over her dark eyes and her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was tanner than I remembered too.

I squinted my eyes against the sun and muttered "Hey."

She ignored my introduction and grabbed me by the wrists to examine my hands. "Dyte...Come on. I'll help with your stuff."

She grabbed the bigger of my two bags and began lugging it towards a beige Ford Taurus. I grabbed the second and followed her, dumping my bag in the backseat. Before I could get in, she stood before me and asked "After the hospital...Will you please tell me what happened?"

I nodded reluctantly. "Since I know Sara's no longer going to listen...Why not?"

We got in and set off. As we turned on Orange Street, I saw a familiar head of curly brown hair bobbing up the street, and felt my heart constrict in my chest. If I'd stayed where I was for just five minutes longer, Ben would have found me...

My eyes shed tears at the prospect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

None of the nurses or doctors bothered asking if Natalie was my family when we arrived at the Emergency Room. It was obvious she wasn't. They just let her come with me into the back as they took my temperature, blood pressure, and stuck my hands with needles to numb them from the pain.

Once I was safely stitched up and properly bandaged, I had to put splints on both of my hands. I was also warned not to make a tight fist or hit anything else, or my stitches might tear open again. I wouldn't want to 'tear a vein' or anything.

I was left to sit in a room for awhile as the doctor went to write out a prescription for antibiotics. I probably wouldn't even fill it, but I'd rather be holed up in a hospital room than out on the street somewhere. Natalie sat beside me on the bed, holding my phone and hers, waiting silently. She'd been a little squeamish while I'd been getting stitched up.

One of the phones started vibrating, and now that I was finally recovering from the blood loss, I was lucid enough to ask "Yours or mine?"

She looked down and said "Yours...Someone named Benedict?"

I sighed and held out my right hand. It was tough to hold the phone now that I couldn't completely bend my fingers, but I managed to unlock it and put it up to my ear.

Ben immediately said "Tell a nurse to let me in."

"Um...what?"

"I am in the Emergency Room of this hospital, and I'd like to see you. You can either tell someone to let me in, or I will wait here until you come out."

"How..? How did you even find me?"

"You said you were going to the hospital, and after a few phone calls, I found you here. Now let me in." I hung up on his surprisingly firm tone of voice and handed my phone back. I looked with wide yes to Natalie, and judging by her similar expression, she'd heard exactly what he said.

"He seems rather determined to see you...D'you want me to go wait in the waiting room?" I shrugged. "I'll let him in while I'm at it..."

Natalie slipped my phone into her pocket and exited. The doctor came back with my prescriptions as she did and asked "Your friend have somewhere to be?"

"My, uh...fiancé is in the waiting room, she's just going to fetch him." The old man smiled.

"Technically, anybody that's not family isn't supposed to be back here, but I don't much care. You don't have to pretend for little old me. Well, _really_ old me." We both chuckled. It was the first time I'd had a smile on my face all day. "I've got you a prescription for penicillin, which'll take care of most of the basic bacteria, and Vicodin, for the pain. I went ahead and guessed that you're going to go ahead and use your hands no matter what we say, but I've given you the smallest effective dose, so don't overkill it."

I saluted. "Yes sir." The old doctor chuckled and handed me my papers.

"A nurse will be right back with the discharge papers."

This time, when the door opened, it was the old doctor leaving and Ben entering. They smiled curtly at each other before Ben quickly closed the door and turned to me, no longer smiling. He was...I didn't know. Angry. Worried. Sad. I couldn't decipher anything from his stony gaze. Normally I would've been tempted to wave my hands in front of his face, but the situation was way too serious. That would've just made it _way_ too awkward.

Ben and I stared quietly at each other for what seemed like eternity. I opened my mouth to say something, but found that now that I was in his presence, I was speechless.

"I...Ben..." He covered the width of the small room in two steps and his face was immediately on mine. His lips covering mine, his hands tugging at my tangled blonde hair, nearly causing me to pull him down onto the hospital bed beside me with the passion of the kiss...When he broke it and the both of us were out of breath, all I could manage was "Whoa."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but a nurse knocked on the door and cracked it open. She smiled and said "I've got your discharge papers here." I quickly signed them without looking. "Thank you. Have a nice day, miss."

Ben grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of the Emergency Room. Natalie looked up in concern and followed us out. Before she even had the chance to say something, Ben asked "You, Aphrodite's friend, what is your name?"

"N...Natalie..."

Without looking away from me, he said "Go home Natalie. Take Aphrodite's things with you for the time being. I will be taking her with me today."

She looked around him and asked me "Is that okay Dyte? Are _you_ okay?" I nodded silently. "Okay...I'll text you when I get home, to make sure you're okay..." She handed my phone to Ben who slipped it in his own pocket before heading off to her car.

He waited until she was out of the hospital parking lot and safely down the street before hoarsely whispering "Aphrodite...I was so worried about you..." All the authority and eloquence from just a moment ago was gone. He was a man that sounded like he'd spent the last hour crying and wailing, his voice so gravelly I could barely hear the baritone timbre.

He wiped at the corners of his red-rimmed eyes and continued. "You said you had attempted suicide before, and I was so scared that you were going to do that...That you would take your own life and leave me alone with this burden of guilt I feel...I never, _never_ want you to hurt yourself again, no matter the cause. I do not care what you have told me or how it had made me feel, I only care that you are safe. I care that you are happy, and..."

I could feel my heart nearly pounding through my chest as I said my next words. "And..? Is there something else?" The last time I asked that, he told me how he wanted to sleep with me. I was almost afraid of what he was going to say this time.

"And I care that you are loved. That I am the one to love you, and I care that you love me in return."

"Are...are you saying..." Ben's unsure face spread into a brilliant smile. "Do you..?"

"I do not know. All I know is that I never want to leave your side again. I want to care for you, I want to make you happy, and I want to make sure you never feel terrible enough to ever hurt yourself again. I want to always be here for you."

I smiled through my haze of new, happy tears. This man, this handsome, intelligent, wonderful man, wanted to be with me...Just me, despite everything I had said and done today to convince him I was the last person he should be thinking about.

This time, I was glad someone had decided not to listen to me.


	6. Reconciliation

**(Third Person PointOfView)**

_This time, they took their time. They wanted to absorb each and every detail about the other and commit it to memory, because the possibility of being without each other was just too big a burden to bear._

_She stood before him as he sat on the edge of his hotel bed, marveling at her body as she undressed. For any other man, she would have shied away. But for this man...She wanted him to see her in her entirety. She wanted him to run his fingers along her stretch marks, to see how her fat hung from her limbs, to taste her skin that she hated so much...She wanted him to love the body she wished she could change._

_As she stripped, all he could see was beauty. All of her marks and scars that made her who she was, all of her plumpness that he wanted to knead between his fingers, all of the little things about her that he wondered how he had ever lived without. He studied her as she undressed before him. Saw how she had forgotten to shave her legs, saw the tuft of dark blonde pubic hair, saw how her stomach drooped._

_He didn't, he __**couldn't**__ understand how she did not love these things. The roundness of her bottom, the grace with which she moved, the enormous swell of her breasts...Oh, how he wanted to bury his face between them again. So he did._

_She gasped as he suddenly pulled her to him and buried his face in her chest. The gasp turned to a moan as he rolled her nipples between his fingers and kissed her all over. She wanted nothing more than for him to continue, but stopped him with a hand to his face. She stepped back and he stood, and she set about undressing him as well._

_He stayed her hand._ "Allow me, my love." _Now she sat as he pulled off his own garments._

_He slid off his black blazer and slowly unbuttoned his perfect white shirt to reveal his pale torso, with the sculpted abdomen he had worked so hard to get for his television show. Now, he wanted nothing more than for his love to run her hands over the hills and valleys his muscles created, and as if reading his mind, she did just that. He sighed contentedly at her warm, soft touch._

_He disrobed and she ran her hands up the backs of his thighs, over the smooth mounds that were his buttocks, and around to his front. His skin tingled everywhere her hands had traveled, and when she touched his manhood...The effects rolled through his body like a tsunami._

_His mind went blank as her hands caressed that most private part of him, and when her cool lips and warm tongue encircled his tender tip, it became too much to bear. He was racked with tremors as he unwillingly released, cursing himself mentally. He looked down and caught her gaze, and found himself frozen with astonishment as she flicked his tip with her tongue and coaxed every last drop out of him, swallowing it down and keeping their eyes connected._

_He felt something stir within him, and knew he was not done. He was going to please her in every way she deserved._

_She scooted back on the bed and lay her head on the pillow as he climbed above her. On hands and knees, he touched no part of himself to her except his mouth. He started with her mouth, locking lips and twisting tongues, not caring that he could taste himself on her lips. He moved lower, noticing how she trembled as he grazed her neck and chest with brief, tender kisses._

_His tongue left a shining trail as he moved farther down, and when he nuzzled his nose in her pubic hair and sniffed, her face darkened and she yelped. He knew she was uncomfortable about this area, and he aimed to change that. He moved her legs open and buried his face between them. She gasped as he flicked her with his tongue as she had done to him._

_He plunged his tongue into her and wriggled it around, causing her to give out a low moan. He replaced his tongue with first one and then two fingers, taking in her reactions to both. She gripped the bedsheets tight as he moved his fingers in and out, and moaned his name as he flicked her with his tongue again. He went faster, harder, until she was whimpering his name between breaths and a sheen of sweat had formed on her body._

_As she had astonished him, he did the same to her as he licked the fingers that had been within her. All the muscles in her belly clenched, his simple act driving her wild with desire. He climbed atop her, ready to begin, but she stopped him again._ "I want to do this," _she said. She let him lay and was the one to climb on top._

_This was something new, something frightening for her, but she wanted to do it with him. She reached her hand down to hold him in place as she lowered herself onto him, gasping as she did. He was so big, stretching her and filling her to the brim, almost to the point of pain. His eyes closed and his head tilted back as he bit his lower lip, relishing in the feel of how snugly she fit around him. She was unlike anyone he had ever been with._

_He entwined his fingers with hers as she moved. Up and forward, down and back. A simultaneous thrusting and grinding that was driving him mad with ecstasy. He wondered why she did not like this, why she did not wield this weapon of pleasure over men, but the thought passed as she did something new. She twirled her wide hips in a circle as she went up and down, swirling himself inside her._

"Aphrodite..." _She paused at the sound of her own name, and he took control. He brought her face down to his for a kiss, and moved his hands to her hips. He took hold and thrusted upward, the kiss nearly breaking as she whimpered against his lips. She wanted to bury her face in his neck, but he pleaded against it._ "Please, I want to see you...All of you."

_Unable to speak, she simply nodded. She dug her fingers into his shoulders to prepare for the next upward lunge, but it did not prevent her from moaning his name when he did it._

"Ben..." _He thrusted again, and she repeated it louder._ "Ben..."

"Say it again...My full name." _He thrusted up and up, harder and harder, and she complied with his wish._

"Benedict...Benedict...Ben...Ah!" _Her magnificent voice calling out his name between breaths had a heady effect on him. He could feel himself being drawn closer to his second finish, but he would not let go this time without pleasing his love first._

_He rolled her over onto her back, her legs automatically locking around his back. She pulled her bottom off of the mattress as he brought his hips against her backside again and again. He could feel her quivering around him, approaching her end, and spared no mercy._

_His hands assaulted her nipples again, and the dual stimulation was enough to push her over the edge. Her blue-gold eyes, much like his own, were wide open as she screamed and shouted his name louder than ever before. Her end brought upon his own, and he pushed himself into her one final time as his deep baritone voice spilled out the words before he could stop them_ "I love you, Aphrodite Chase...I love you."

_She stared up at him with wonder and disbelief. He loved her...he had just said it. She, who deserved nothing but the worst terrors of Tartarus, had been told she was loved. She did not bother to deny the feelings that had been stirring in her soul since the first moment she laid eyes on this wonderful man._

"I love you too, Benedict...More than you can imagine."

_They shared a final, passionate kiss before he pulled out of her and brought the blanket on the bed to cover them both. She took her place, curled against his side with his arm wrapped around her, with a smile on her face. It was a genuine smile, because she was genuinely happy. For the first time in her life, she was utterly and completely happy._

_And with her curled against his side, reveling in the love they had just made, he could not deny that he felt the same._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**(Aphrodite's PointOfView)**

He loved me. Benedict Cumberbatch, the 36 year old star of Sherlock and Star Trek II, the mega-famous rich British celebrity, loved me. And that made me happy.

I had the first full night of sleep in longer than I could remember. I feel asleep almost instantly, didn't wake up once during the night, and slept in until almost noon. I couldn't even remember having a dream or a nightmare. _That_ was certainly refreshing.

When I did awaken, I found myself wrapped like a vise around a fully dressed Ben's waist. I blinked to clear the haze of sleep from my eyes and asked "Why're you dressed?"

"Because it is 11:30 in the morning, my love. I woke up some time ago to get dressed, and you started calling out for me in your sleep, and so I came back to bed." I felt my face grow red and he smiled. "I do love that color in your cheeks...We can stay in bed if you wish."

"No, no, I should be getting up, it's almost lunchtime..." I unwrapped myself from him and felt a yawn seize me. I sucked in a huge breath as I twisted and stretched, mildly aware that the blanket had found its way off of me. I plopped back down on the bed and saw Ben's eyes grazing my naked body. Remembering how he had touched me all over just a few hours before...it made me shiver with excitement.

He misinterpreted it. "Are you cold Aphrodite? You really should get dressed..." He sounded unsure about that last part and I giggled.

"No, no, I was just remembering last night and what...exhilarating fun we had. The best time of my life, by far." I felt myself grin ear-to-ear.

"And what exactly made it the best time of your life?" He trailed a hand up and down my stomach as he asked, and I shivered again.

"We made perfect love, better and sweeter than anything I've ever experienced before...But that's nothing compared to finding out you love me. I don't deserve anything from you but you're giving me your love anyway, a gift I intend to treasure for the rest of my life."

Ben climbed atop me, settling his body down along mine. He stared down into my face, our blue-gold eyes finding each other instantly, and said "You deserve everything, and everything is what I intend to give you. Including me." He leaned down for a brief kiss. "And right now, I intend to give you lunch. I know you must be starving after our exertions."

Actually, my stomach was doing backflips at the thought of him giving himself to me, but I smiled and agreed. "Lunch it is then. Shall I choose a place?"

He shook his head, surprising me. "I did a bit of research while you were still asleep and found a worthwhile looking place...As long as you're up for a walk." I nodded. "Excellent...Your clothes are on the table, I'll leave you to get dressed."

Ben jumped off the bed and turned to leave, but I yanked him back by the wrist. He must've seen the flash of terror in my eyes and understood. "Alright, I'll stay right here."

I smiled and got up to get dressed. The simple clothes I'd been wearing yesterday were neatly folded on the small table by the bed, and my shoes sat beside them. I didn't hurry to get dressed and didn't bother covering myself, knowing how Ben was watching my move just as he had last night. I relished the feeling of his eyes on me.

I pulled my shirt over my head and bent down for my jeans, and gasped loudly when I felt him against my backside. I spun my head to see him standing against me, and could feel his erection through his trousers and my panties. Almost instinctually, I pushed back against him, feeling him grind against me right between the squishy mounds of my bottom.

With a shaky voice I asked "I thought we were going to get lunch?"

"Yes, lunch..." He sounded almost as if he'd forgotten. "I suppose that is more important..." Ben bent down and kissed my bottom, and I yelped as he nipped at it with his teeth. "I'd like to take you in this position very much, Aphrodite."

I squirmed and retrieved my jeans and stood. As I slipped them on, I tried to keep the shakiness out of my voice. "I'd very much like that too..." He smiled his brilliant smile, and I couldn't help but do it in return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late in the afternoon before we made it to Natalie's place to get my things. She nearly fell out of her apartment doorway at the sight of my brilliantly smiling face, and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Dyte, oh my goodness...Why didn't you text or call me back last night?" I blushed and shrugged and she chuckled. "I guess I don't need to ask...Come in, the both of you."

She ushered us in to the comfortable little place she called home. It was smaller than the apartment I'd shared with Sara, but had all the personal touches that I expected form Natalie, including a slew of art materials sitting on the coffee table.

"Sorry it's a mess...I was doodling." I laughed; our version of doodling consisted of sketching and refining our masterpieces until we thought they were good enough to show off to the world. At least, that's how it was back when we consistently hung out.

Ben went to the table and saw some of Natalie's sketches and remarked "These are excellent...Do you work with art professionally?" She shook her head, and I could swear I saw her blushing behind her dark cheeks.

"No, I just do it as a hobby, sometimes our friends will commission something from me...You should see Dyte, she can draw stuff 100x better than anything I do."

I made a face at Natalie as Ben asked "Really..? You never told me you were an artist, Aphrodite."

"You never asked...And besides, I _was_ an artist. I don't do that stuff anymore." The last time I'd even lifted a pen or a pencil to draw something was over a year ago. Heck, probably over two years ago. I couldn't exactly remember anymore. "Are we getting my stuff or not?"

Natalie brought my bags out of her bedroom and plopped them on the floor with a heavy thud. "I might've added a couple of things in there that I thought you'd like..."

I smirked; I didn't have to ask what she'd added. I told her while we were catching up at the hospital about how I hadn't drawn in so long, and she said she'd wanted to get me some new materials so I could get back into it.

I took the lighter bag and Ben took the heavier, and Natalie followed us to the rental car Ben had delivered to the hotel, apparently also while I was still asleep. We tossed my things in the trunk and I turned to hug Natalie goodbye. She almost sounded as if she were going to cry as she said "I missed you so much, Dyte...You dropped off the face of the Earth, and here you are, being as mind-blowing as ever."

"Oh, I'm not like that..." As I released her I caught Ben's eye, and I knew he wanted to say otherwise. "I missed you too...And we've gotta keep in contact this time. With Sara hating me now, there's no other friends I've got in this god-forsaken city."

"Well, there's me. And we can hang out whenever you want, as long as it's not while I'm working...Well, I work at that little restaurant right across from the Rite-Aid, so maybe you can swing by and grab a bite. Employee discount." I chuckled as she nudged me with her elbow.

"Maybe I will...But for now, I've got...business to attend to." I rolled my eyes toward Ben and she giggled. "Bye."

"Bye Dyte!" The way she shouted it even though I was only a few feet away made me break out in laughter again. I climbed into the passenger side of Ben's bright red rental to see him grinning like a loon.

"Something amusing, Mr. Cumberbatch?"

"Just watching you and your friend...You're so much more at ease now than when I first met you."

I grabbed his hand and said "I've got you to thank for that. You and your love."

"Well, without you being such a wonderful woman, I would have nobody to give my love to." He leaned over for a kiss that I quickly obliged to. "Now, off to the hotel."

He pulled out of the space into traffic, and I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I was unsurprised to see Sara's number. She'd been calling me constantly since last night.

I answered with "Yes?"

**"Now** you answer me...What the hêll did you do to my apartment?! I got home last night and there was blood everywhere, and the whole goddâmn kitchen was a wreck!"

"I had a bit of a meltdown because you kicked me out. The blood is from my hands. I went to the hospital and got stitches and splints on both of them, and then Natalie took my things while I spent the night with Ben." I wasn't going to lie to her, but I didn't give specific details, like where Ben and I had stayed. Sara wasn't usually the angry type, but when she did get mad...Well, I was glad she didn't know where I was.

"Ben..? He's here?" Her curiosity got the best of her. "I thought he was back in London?"

"After I snuck out in the middle of the night, it seems he came to find me...Natalie was with me at the hospital so she just took my things, and Ben took me back to where he was staying."

"That's...crazy. He crossed a whole friggin' ocean to come find you...But anyway, what the heck am I gonna do about my kitchen?!"

"The cabinets can be taken care of by building maintenance, but you'll just have to buy some new dishes on your own. I'd help, but you should know better than anyone that I haven't got any money."

"Yeah, yeah, I know...I'm not saying you can come back here, but if anything else major happens with Ben...You let me know." I was glad Sara couldn't see my smirk through the phone. She probably would've punched me if she had.

"Naturally. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" I hung it up at that. I could see Ben's curious expression as he stared ahead at the road, so I explained. "That was Sara. She was super pissed that I destroyed the kitchen, but when I told her about you, she pretty much forgot all that...Told me to call if anything else major happens."

"It seems you may not have completely lost her as a friend, after all. I'm glad for you." He smiled and I believed it. He took my hand in his one that wasn't on the steering wheel. "We should celebrate."

"Celebrate? Why on Earth would we celebrate that..? Oh." I giggled to myself for not realizing it right away. "You mean _that_ kind of celebrating..."

"Naturally. I told you, I intend to bend you over that table and take you from behind...And you did say I could before this day is out."

"I do remember saying that...But can't we do something else besides that?" He raised a confused eyebrow and I snickered. "I'm kidding...I'm just glad to know I'm with someone that's just as sêx-crazed as I am."

"Why wouldn't I be? I have the perfect partner." He squeezed my hand and my smile grew.

"Oh, I don't know...You might get exhausted and over-sêxed soon, since you're a bit on in years..."

"Oh, _really?"_ The malevolent tone of his voice made me want to take back what I'd said. We pulled up to a red light and he asked "So I'm 'on in years', huh?"

"You are 36..."

"And that's 'on in years'?" He grinned wickedly. He wrenched his free hand from mine. "Let's see just how 'on in years' I can be..." I shivered with fright and excitement at his words.

Instead of going straight down the street that would've taken us to the hotel, he took a left and pulled into a parking garage a few blocks away. He paid the booth operator and drove us all the way to the top of the structure, away from all the other people and cars.

I was confused as he got out and came around my side to open my door. "What're we doing up here for?" Level 8 of the tallest of three parking garages we had. Me, being deathly afraid of heights, wasn't eager to get out of the car. "Why're we all the way up at the top?"

"You called me old." He took me by the wrists and I finally climbed out, and he pulled me around to the back of the car. Fear flickered like a bright flame in my mind. I couldn't see the ground from our position, but just knowing how high up we were was enough to make me cower.

"Ben this is awfully high up...Will you please tell me why we're up here?"

"To be away from people, of course." His mouth was suddenly on mine in a rough kiss. My lips parted and invited his tongue inside, and for a brief moment, my fear of heights was forgotten. "We're here to prove I'm every bit as lithe and youthful as you."

I pulled back and asked "And how're we gonna do that way up here?"

His wicked grin didn't subside as he spun me in his arms and pressed his erection against my backside. I understood immediately, and I wanted to panic, but the way he started kissing down the back of my neck...It made my troubles melt from my mind.

He reached around and quickly undid my jeans, yanking them down over my bottom. He caressed it with his large hands before slowly dislodging my panties as well, and I let out a small moan as I felt him slip a finger inside me from behind.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" I didn't know if he meant the feeling of his fingers rubbing me inside and out, or the mix of fear an excitement about being naughty in public, but I said yes to both. "This not something an old man would do?" I shook my head, and slapped my hands over my mouth when I felt a sharp crack against my backside.

He spanked me. And I _liked_ it.

"What was that, Aphrodite?" I shook my head again and he spanked me again, while at the same time viciously pushing his fingers deeper inside me. "Care to repeat it?"

"No..." My voice was hoarse with want. "I take it back..."

"Thatta girl." I heard the metallic grating of his zipper and a moment later, he pushed his way inside me. Bent over the trunk of the car with my legs pressed tight together...it made him feel even bigger inside me. "Keep your hands over your mouth, or we'll be discovered." I nodded wordlessly, not moving my hands.

I screamed into them as he grabbed my hips and slammed into me. Again and again, taking no prisoners, my throat aching as I let out the loudest wails of my life. In between screams and breaths he would spank me, only elating the absolute pleasure I felt at the way he was fûcking me.

Because that's what it was. It wasn't making love, and it wasn't just sêx...it was fûcking.

And I loved it.


End file.
